Ch 7

EPOV

He realizes that he needs to hunt this evening if he plans to communicate more with her tomorrow. He returns from the hunt and gets ready for his day. He has a site tour, land tour, and then meeting with several CEO's and other business men. He already knew about the land but the tour was for their sake.

He made his way to the lobby only to see her being seated at the hotel bistro. He decided to sit and read the paper while he waited for his car. He noticed how she sat quietly, drank lots of coffee with cream only, and ordered eggs Benedict. She then played with her phone while she waited on her food. A few times he noticed how she would just sit there enjoying the quiet. He tried hard to ignore the other people but some were very distracting, especially the business man sitting between them. His thoughts were on her and the profile visual and thinking about her figure. The rage and anger that coursed through him was almost more than he could handle.

The waiter stepped in front of him with his food which that became his new focus. She looked around the room and her eyes locked on him, she quickly looked way only to look back a few more times. He glanced at her, smiles, and returned to reading his paper. As she got up, she walked to the other side of the bistro and was gathering her things. She had many items she was trying to balance and he knew she was probably not going to be able to manage them all.

He got up, tossed a tip on the table for the coffee he did not touch, and quickly walked towards her just as her suit jacket slipped onto the floor. He quickly grabbed it when she stopped. She thanked him and reached for the jacket. "My pleasure Ms Swan, you seem to have your hands full, can I assist you." he says. She looks up at him then says, "I would hate to impose Dr. Cullen, please call me Bella."

Edward simply smiles that panty dropping smile and replies, "I believe we are heading the same direction, it would be my pleasure to help such a damsel in distress." She stands there utterly shocked and speechless; but then nods and they walk to the elevator. Edward then says, "So Bella, what happens to bring you here to the beautiful city of San Francisco?"

She explains that she is here at a business conference and presenting. She asks him the same which he explains that he is also in town for business. They walk towards the conference room suite where she will be presenting and set her materials on the table. She then comments, "Oh, you have been a great help; I do not want to take anymore of your time." He smiles but is interrupted by the technician asking for her presentation. She excuses herself and hands him the thumb drive. Edward then asks, "So, Bella, what is it that you do so well that you are presenting on today?"

She blushes and proceeds to tell him about her work with at risk students in the school district and this presentation is about how they started a nontraditional program for students which has had unbelievable results, which he already knows all about and is happy that her facts mirror what his research indicated. He then asks how it is funded and she explains that she spends her time researching and finding grants, foundations, and doing fundraising to help sustain the program.

He simple smiles and nods, then he ask if the conference is open to the public and what type of audience is she expecting. He asked if she presented to foundations and potential funders about her programs which she commented that she was too small and not important enough to catch their ear so no. He simply nodded and then said, "Well, I must be off to my next appointment, but I am sure I will see you around." He smiles and walks off.